Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Alan Shields. It dates from 1973 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled, produced in 1973 by American artist Alan Shields, is a composite work consisting of nine screenprints that incorporate a range of tactile techniques, including embossing, woodcut, linoleum cut, dye‑cutting, flocking and the application of glass beads. The piece is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Subject & Meaning
The composition suggests a fragmented window frame: broken panes and irregular slats frame a field of vivid, overlapping shapes in pink, blue and green. The juxtaposition of sharp, geometric outlines with softer, irregular forms creates a visual tension that invites viewers to contemplate the interplay between structure and chaos.
Technique & Style
Shields combined traditional printmaking methods—woodcut and linoleum cut—with contemporary processes such as screenprinting and dye‑cutting.
Shields combined traditional printmaking methods—woodcut and linoleum cut—with contemporary processes such as screenprinting and dye‑cutting. Surface texture is varied through embossing, flocking and the strategic placement of glass beads, producing areas that range from sandpaper‑like roughness to delicate, bead‑studded surfaces. The layered inks allow color to emerge through cut‑out gaps, enhancing a puzzle‑like quality.
History & Provenance
Created in the early 1970s, the work entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its completion, reflecting MoMA’s interest in experimental print media during that period. The piece has remained in the museum’s holdings, where it is displayed as part of the institution’s broader print and drawing holdings.
Context
Shields’ practice in the 1970s was marked by an exploration of mixed media and the boundaries between two‑dimensional and three‑dimensional surfaces. Untitled aligns with this trajectory, integrating tactile elements that challenge conventional printmaking and echo broader trends in post‑minimalist art that emphasized materiality and process.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alan J. Shields was an American painter, and for a time during the 1980s, had a secondary career as a commercial boat operator, including as ferryboat captain.
